Entertainment technology is the discipline of using manufactured or created components to enhance or make possible any sort of entertainment experience. Because entertainment categories are so broad, and because entertainment models the world in many ways, the types of implemented technology are derived from a variety of sources. Thus, in theatre, for example, entertainment technology practitioners must be able to design and construct scenery, install electrical systems, build clothing, use motors if there is scenery automation,[clarification needed] provide plumbing (if functioning kitchen fixtures are required, or if "singing in the rain"), etc. In this way, the entertainment technology field intersects with most other types of technology.

Traditionally, entertainment technology is derived from theatrical stagecraft, and stagecraft is an important subset of the discipline. However, the rise of new types and venues for entertainment, as well as rapidly advancing technological development, has increased the range and scope of its practice.

In animation and game design, the phrase "entertainment technology" refers to a very real world of entertainment experiences made possible by the advent of primarily computer-mediated digital technologies.[citation needed]

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According to Sheau Ng, entertainment technology began with the invention of the phonograph by Thomas Edison, which was used to record and playback sound. This was followed by other media such as silent films, broadcast media, and different formats of pre-recorded music and other entertainment.[1] This in turn impacted society, as this technology became a large part of everyday life and allowed people, governments, and organizations a way to communicate their ideas and creations with others.[2][3]

Video streaming is becoming a huge part of society in this day and age and it is only beginning to expand. Video streaming brought in a revenue of $30.29 billion in 2016 and based on projections conducted by Research and Markets, will reach an astonishing $70.05 billion in the year 2021. This projected drastic increase has caused there to be more competition in streaming, which has led to rapid growth, development, and a large increase in the number of users. Technology is a data based driven field, and with this rapid growth the future is bright for this field. Technology has been enhancing discoveries for as long as it has been invented. It holds the digital power to entertain, inform, and persuade. Technology will continue to provide all of these sentiments and will continue to do so for as long as developments keep forthcoming. Rapid growth and development does not only affect the consumers, but the producers. Large technology companies will have improve content quality of all while extracting maximum value of the product. Challenges for development in the media industry are how to maximize content, brands, and advertising. While also created tailoring consumers needs to enhance their experience. Consumers drive this field, companies are constantly running data about consumers preferences, relationships, habits, and locations. Technology is a growing field and with companies beginning to care more about the consumers, and with rapid growing development in this field, expect technology to take bigger steps forward in years to come. [8][9]

Currently,[when?] the only university offering a degree specifically in Entertainment Engineering and Design (EED) is the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV).[citation needed] Because UNLV's program is in its infancy, current entertainment technologists come from a wide variety of educational backgrounds, the most prevalent of which are theater and mechanical technology. Several other institutions of higher education offer similar programs for entertainment-related ventures.[citation needed]

A bachelor's degree in these areas will typically have a difference of only a few specialized classes.[citation needed]

Traditionally, people interested in careers in this field either presented themselves as apprentices within craft unions, or attended college programs in theatre technology. Although both are appropriate in limited ways, the growing world of entertainment technology encompasses many different types of performance and display environments than the theatre. To this end, newer opportunities have arisen that provide a wider educational base than these more traditional environments. An article "Rethinking Entertainment Technology Education" by John Huntington describes new teaching philosophies that resonate with the need for a richer and more flexible educational environment:[15]

"We need to bridge the worlds of ivory-tower theatre education with the commercial world of live entertainment production. I believe this bridge would be beneficial not just to the technical students, but to the whole art of performance. When high-tech systems such as video, moving lights, computerized sound, mechanized scenery and show control are mastered by even average entertainment technicians, they can advance the state of their craft, which will allow artists to advance the state of their art."[15]